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Oregon Recovery Houses & Sober Living: Resources & Directory

Find recovery residence and sober living resources for Oregon: voluntary MHACBO-NARR accreditation, zoning and fair housing sources, helplines, and organizations that serve the state. Browse the guide below or choose your county to find local information.

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Oregon recovery house rules at a glance

Voluntary accreditation
Mental Health and Addiction Certification Board of Oregon (MHACBO), the state affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR)
State license
None. Oregon does not license or require certification of recovery residences
Standards
MHACBO accredits each residence separately against the NARR 3.0 standards, at one of four levels
Pending rules
HB 2239 (2025), which would have tied public recovery housing contracts to certification, did not pass

Step by step

How to open a recovery house or sober living home in Oregon

Oregon has no state license or certification requirement for recovery residences or sober living homes. To open one, check your city or county zoning rules, follow fair housing law, write your house policies and resident documents, and consider voluntary accreditation from the Mental Health and Addiction Certification Board of Oregon (MHACBO), which reviews one residence at a time.

The steps most new operators follow to open a recovery house in Oregon, in order. Each one links to the official form or rule behind it.

  1. 1

    Choose your model and support level

    Voluntary certification

    Decide how the home will run. MHACBO's four levels range from Level I (peer-run, no paid staff) through Level II (monitored by a house manager) and Level III (supervised, with a facility manager and certified staff) to Level IV (service provider with clinical services in house). An Oxford House is a separate, democratically run model.

  2. 2

    Check zoning with your city or county

    Local requirement

    Oregon has no state license for recovery residences, so local zoning and occupancy rules are the main rules to check. Call the city or county planning office before you sign a lease or buy a property.

  3. 3

    Know your fair housing protections

    Local requirement

    The federal Fair Housing Act bars disability discrimination in housing and bars local governments from using zoning to exclude group homes for people with disabilities. Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) take complaints.

  4. 4

    Set up the business and the property

    Voluntary certification

    MHACBO's application asks for an Oregon Secretary of State business registration, a current liability insurance certificate, written consent from the property owner to operate a recovery residence, and a description of your accounting practices.

  5. 5

    Write your house policies and resident documents

    Voluntary certification

    The NARR 3.0 standards in MHACBO's manual list the policies to write, including admission, resident rights and grievances, relapse, eviction, drug testing, medication management, staff background checks, fee refunds and good neighbor rules. Give residents written house rules and payment agreements.

  6. 6

    Apply for MHACBO-NARR accreditation

    Voluntary certification

    Open an application for each residence through Certemy on MHACBO's NARR page, choose the accreditation level, and upload your documents. MHACBO suggests putting all policies and procedures in one document. MHACBO staff or agents then inspect the residence on site.

  7. 7

    Stay accredited and watch for new rules

    Voluntary certification

    Keep your policies current and use MHACBO's fee payment and extension forms when renewing. Watch the Oregon Legislature for a bill like HB 2239 that would tie public recovery housing contracts to certification.

Startup checklist

  • Choose a NARR support level or the Oxford House model
  • Call your city or county planning office about zoning
  • Read the federal Fair Housing Act and BOLI's fair housing page
  • Register the business with the Oregon Secretary of State
  • Get liability insurance and written consent from the property owner
  • Write your policies, house rules and resident documents
  • Have all staff sign the MHACBO-NARR Code of Ethics
  • Open a Certemy application with MHACBO for each residence
  • Prepare for MHACBO's on-site inspection
  • Keep accreditation current and watch for new state bills

Free launch consult

Opening your first house?

Talk it through with an operator for 30 minutes. We’ll go over your model, zoning, policies, and the license or certification you need, and you’ll leave with a clear next-step checklist.

Request a free launch consult

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